Striken with Sadness
by demigodishness11
Summary: Camp reads chapter 52, the end, of the mark of Athena. They read the entire chapter and um... well, that's all they do besides the prologue. Correct grammar and spelling. My first story so leave lots of reviews. REVIEW! Um... yeah. :) Used to be called "Camp Half Blood Reads The Mark of Athena."
1. Prolouge

Grover's pov:

I was sitting down at camp half blood feeling very worried. The prophecy members were MIA and we knew nothing except they were in Rome and war might be coming. We knew all they members of the seven and all that, but we were still limited. We dint even know if any of our friends were badleyy injured or... dead.

I must have had a pretty od expressing on my face because when Thalia looked my way, her eyes furrowed into a frown and she came and sat next to me.

"Hey groves" she said.

"Hi"I said "why are you over here?"

She rolled her eyes, "I don't need to be able to read emotions to see that something is wrong. What's up? Thinking about..." she didn't have to finish her sentence. I knew what she was talking about. I nodded absently.

She said, "I have been thinking about it some too."

I must have looked surprised because she chuckled. I just hadn't thought of her to be the one to think that. I sensed loneliness and worry on her, just like all the other campers. The fire burned dull gray and was barely 3 feet high. Everyone was tense and worried.

"Why are you lonely?" I asked

She sighed, "I just really miss Annabeth. And Percy. And Jason. And piper. And Leo. And-"

"We get it." I said with a smile.

She grinned back. "So... you gonna make some deep physiological quote to make me feel better or ask for my apple?"

We both burst into laughter. Years ago at Yancey Academy, Percy had been talking about me with his problems with Mr. Brunner (aka Chiron) and when he finished, I asked for his apple. Later, he had told me he had expected me to make some deep thought comment before I said that. I had told Thalia and ever since it had been a funny joke between us.

Once we stopped our hysterical laughter (which had drawn odd stares form many campers) we began to talk about things. Our current problem, the quest, stuff like that.

A little while later, there was a flash of bright light. Sitting on the podium was... a box?

Chiron poked confused and trotted over. He pulled off a note and read it:

_dear campers and other people,_

_We understand that you are worried about your demigod friends (at least SOME of you are friends with them) on their quest. This is a story about their quest you can read to find out what is happening. So you won't be confused, here is a summary of what is happening so far:_

_Annabeth Chase is on a quest to find the Athena Parthenon. So far she was been attacked by ghost, broken her ankle, been chased across a chasm by an army of spiders, and has faced Arachne. She defeated the spider by tricking her into weaving herself into her own trap and unnerving the statue. The monster was about to break through when the Argo the second used a ballistae to blow a hole through the ceiling. This is what happens next._

_When you finish this book please place it in the woods where it will be devoured by hungry monsters in search for food with ALOT of fiber. Happy reading!_

_-the fates and Apollo: the awesomest *thunder* OK second awesomest god ever_

everyone gasped and started commenting:

"she FOUND the Athena Parthenon?"

"BEST... ATHENA... CHILD... EVER!"

"BALLISTAE!"

"Shut it Clarisse!"

"Quiet!" Chiron stamped his foot and everyone quieted down. "We need to read this and find out what happens!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and quieted down.

Chiron read: **Chapter 52: Annabeth**


	2. Reading

**Everything in bold to Rick Riordan disclaimers and all that jazz. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 52: Annabeth**

**ANNABETH HAD SEEN SOME STRANGE THINGS BEFORE, but she had never seen it rain cars.**

"Cars? What type? Are they-"

"Shut up, mini-Hephaestus"

"technically we _are_ Hephaestus' children so-"

"CONTINUE PLEASE!"

**As the roof of the cavern collapsed, sunlight blinded her. She got a brief glimpse of the agro 2 hovering above. It must ahyev used its ballistae to blast a hole straight through the ground.**

"BALLISTAE!"

"now it's our turn to shut _you _up, Clarisse"

"huff"

**chunks of asphalt as big as garage doors tumbled down, along with six or seven Italian cars.**

"*sniff* THOSE POOR MACHINES!"

"shut it, Nyssa."

**one would have crushed the Athena Parthenos**

"it better not, after all that work"

**but the statues glowing aura aged as a force field and the car bounced off**

"good"

**Unfortunately, it fell straight towards annabeth**

"not good."

"you don't say?"

**she jumped to one side, twisting her bad foot. A wave of agony almost made her pass out,**

The Athena children grimaced for their sister

**but she flipped on her bank just in time to see a red Fiat 500 slam into Arachne's silk trap**

"good for that car." Malcolm mumbled over the sound of his tense cabin mates

**punching into the cavern floor and diapering with the Chinese spidercuffs. As earache fell, she screamed like a freight train on a collision course**

"that's a weird way to describe it"

Chiron sighed and looked up from the book "can you stop talking so I can continue?" I saw that he was really worried for annabeth though.

He cleared his throat and began again

**; but her wailing rapidly faded; All around Annabeth, more chunks of debris slammed through the floor, riddling it with more holes.**

no one commented to that, but Chiron had a bad feeling about those holes.

**The Athena Parthenon remained undamaged, the marble under its pedestal was a starburst of fractures. Annabeth was covered in cobwebs.**

The Athena cabin shivered at the very thought.

**She trailed strands of left over spider silk like the strings of a marionette, but somehow, amazingly, none of the debris had hit her.**

Everyone cheered and Chiron smiled but he still couldn't shake that feeling...

**she wanted to believe the statue had protected her, though she suspected it might've been nothing but luck**

Cabin 11 frowned. Why wouldn't Athena protect her?

**The army of spiders had disappeared. Either they had fled back into the darkness, or they'd fallen into the chasm.**

While most Athena kids wondered: _what chasm?, _an Athena girl about nine said defiantly," I hope she fell into the chasm and got the painful death she rightfully deserved!" which earned some 11 kids wondering how she could be so violet and the Ares smiling creepily.

**As daylight flooded the cavern, Aranchnes tapestries crumbled too dust, which Annabeth could hardly bear to watch-especially the one depicting her and Percy.**

Thalia voiced the question everyone was thinking: "what was it depicting?"

**but none of that mattered when she heard Percy's voice from above: "Annabeth!"**

The amount of cooing fro the Aphrodite cabin was so large everyone was sure they could hear it outside of long island.

"Shut up!" Clarisse said

"but it's just _sooo _sweet!" the Aphrodites purred, earning eye rolls form everyone.

**All the terror seemed to leave her in one passive yelp.**

The love goddess spawn set off again

**As the Argo 2 descended, she saw Percy leaning over the rail. His smile was better than any tapestry she'd ever seen.**

this time, everybody couldn't help but to smile.

**The room kept shaking , but annabeth managed to stand. The floor at her feet seemed stable for the moment**

Chiron gulped. _stable for a moment? _he had a hunch about that chasm

**Her backpack was missing, along with daedalus's laptop. Her bronze knife, which she had had sincde she was seven, was also gone-probably fallen into the pit.**

everyone felt sympathetic. They knew she loved daedalus's laptop. As for the knife that was the only memory of...luke.

**But Annabeth didn't care, she was alive.**

"good priorities" Malcolm said, trying to get people's minds off the knife. They saw what he was doing and nodded in agreement. Grieving and sobbing didn't get you anywhere. They had learned that during the titan war

**She edged closer to the gaping hole made by the Fiat 500. Jagged rock walls plunged into the darkness as far as Annabeth could see.**

"Um... jagged rocks?" someone asked. "What is that place?" others took up his question until a very nervous Chiron called for silence.

**A few small edged jutted out here and there, but Annabeth saw nothing on them-just strands of silk dripping over the sides like Christmas tinsel.**

people were holding back their many questions

**Annabeth wondered if Arachne had told the truth about the chasm. had the spider fallen all the way to Tartarus?**

gasps filled the room. _tartarus. _the pit was _tartarus. _chiron calmed everyone down. But he filled with horror. His suspicions were correct.

**She tried to feel satisfied with that idea, but it made her sad.**

"Why would that make her sad?!" Gracie from Athena yelled

**Aranchne had made some beautiful things.**

"oh"

**She'd already suffered for eons.**

"double oh"

**Now her last tapestries** **had ****crumbled.**

"triple oh"

**After all that, falling into Tartarus seemed to harsh an end**

"Quadruple o-"

"WE GET IT, GRACIE"

"Jeez"

**Annabeth was dimly aware of the Argo 2 hovering to a stop about forty feet from the door.**

"How can you be dimly aware of something like that?"

"shut up and listen"

"yes dear Clarisse"

"Travis Stoll if you can me dear one more time I will take your head and-"

"I'm quieting!" Travis wimpered

"good" Clarisse said with a smirk. She loved it when people were afraid of her

**It lowered its rope ladder, but annabeth was still In a daze, staring into the darkness. Then suddenly Percy was next to her, Laing his fingers into hers.**

everyone smiled. They hadn't heard from their friend in a long time.

**He turned her gently away from the pit**

"GOOD!" everyone yelled "GET AWAY FROM THAT PIT!"

**And wrapped his arms around he. She buried her face in his chest and broke down into tears.**

Not many people had seen Annabeth cry. In fact, nobody.

Chiron began again after a pause:

**"It's okay" he said "we're together**

everyone smiled through worry. The Aphrodite cabin was going crazy

**He didn't say it like ****_you're okay or we're alive_****. After all they'd been through over the past year, he knew the most important thing was that they were together.**

more crazy Aphrodite and grins

**She loved him for saying that.**

Now people had to cover their ears to keep from damage, that cabin screeched so loud. Chiron silenced them and continued.

**Their friends gathered around. Nico di Angelo was there, ****But Annabeth's thoughts were so fuzzy, this didn't seem surprising to her. It only seemed right that he would be with them.**

"Why"

"You'll probably find out"

"But I want to know NOW!"

"READ, CHIRON!"

**"Your leg" piper said, examining the bubble wrap cast. **

"Bubble wrap!" the Stolls yelled in sync.

"What? Bubble wrap us amazing."

"No it's not" mumbled the people who had been 'bubble pranked' as the Stolls liked to call it.

**"Oh gods Annabeth what ****_happened?" _**

**She started to explain. Talking was difficult, but as the words went along, her words came more easily.**

**Percy didn't let go of her hand, which also made her feel more confident.**

everyone smiled and cabin six **(A/N: I don't know what cabin it is, just say it's that one)**

**When she finished, her friends faces went slack with amusement.**

"Mine would be too. I mean, she did more that day then some demigods do in their life. _by herself!"_

nods of agreement.

**"Gods of Olympus." Jason said. "you did that alone, with a broken ankle"**

everyone grimaced at the reminder of her injuries

**"Well, ****_some_**** of it with a broken ankle."**

Thalia shook her head "to modest"

**Percy grinned. "you made earache weave her own trap? I knew you were good but holy hera-"**

"why would he use her, after all she's done?"

"Good point"

"Well this is Percy we're talking about."

"He should have used 'holy Hephaestus'"

"Why is that?"

"WHY IS THAT?! Hephaestus is-"

Katie cut him off and told Chiron to continue before lizzy could get into it.

**"Annabeth, you ****_did _****it. Generations of Athena kids tried and failed. You found the Athena Parthenon!"**

**Everyone gazed at the statue.**

**"What do we do with her?" frank asked. "she's huge!"**

The Stoll brothers turned to the Athena cabin. "hear that? She's huge!"

They earned smacks from Katie Gardner and the Demeters

**"We'll have to take her to Greece" Annabeth said, "the statue is powerful. Something about it will help us stop the giants."**

"Stopping giants would be helpful"

**"****_the giants bane stands gold and pale," _****hazel quoted. "****_won with pain from a woven jail." _****she looked at Annabeth with admiration. "it was Arachne's jail. You tricked her into weaving it."**

Clapping sprouted up from Athena followed by the rest of the camp

**With ALOT of pain, Annabeth thought.**

more grimacing

**Leo raised his hand**

"Doesn't he know he doesn't have to do that?"

"Who knows what goes on in that boys head"

"Point taken"

**He made a finger picture frame around the Athena Parthenon like he was taking measurements, "well, it might take some rearranging but I think we can fit her through the bay doors in the stables. If she sticks out the end, I might have to wrap a flag around her feet of something"**

laughter at the thought of that exploded through out camp

**Annnabeth shuddered. She imagined the Athena Parthenon jutting from their trireme with a sign right across her pedestal that read: WIDE LOAD.**

this only turned the laughter into a roar. When the campers finally calmed down, Chiron started again:

**Then she thought about the other lines of the prophecy:**

_**The twins snuff out the angels breath which holds the key to endless death.**_

"Endless death." Conner muttered "how enjoyable"

This earned him a smirk and a high five from Travis and a glare from katie

**"What about you guys?" she asked "what happened with the giants?" ****Percy told her about rescuing Nico,**

"Why did he need rescuing?"

"Maybe if you would SHUT UP and let Chiron READ you would find out!" Clarisse fixed him with a death glare and Travis shut up.

**The appearance of Bacchus,**

everyone looked at Chiron incredulously. Right now, he was sleeping. It seemed unlikely he would appear some place by his own will.

**and the fight with the twins at the coliseum. Nico didn't say much**

"Doesn't he always not say much?"

"Fair point you make, dear brother Conner"

"Right back at you, dear brother Travis."

Chris stopped them before they could get into it to much.

**The poor guy looked like he'd been wandering around in a wasteland for six weeks.**

"he probably was"

"why do you say that?"

"you never know with that boy."

"Fair point, dear brother con-"

"OK WE GET IT! READ. CHIRON!"

**Percy explained**

Clarisse leaped out of her chair with a frantic look on her face, pointing at the book with a shake finger.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked, panicked, worried for his girlfriend"

She stuttered, "P-percy _explained _something. He never explains!"

The camp burst into laughter at her little show and even Chiron suppressed a smile.

She gave a bow and walked back to her seat, getting high five invitations from the Stoll, which, to everyone surprise, she returned.

**What Nico had found out about the doors of death, and how they had to be closed on both sides. Even with sunlight streaming in from above, Percy's ****news made the cavern seem dark again.**

"Of course it did"

**"So the mortal side is in Epirus" she said "At least that's somewhere we can reach."**

Katie grimaced, "But the other side is the problem. Tartarus."

**Nico grimaced. "but the other side is the problem. Tartarus."**

a few people chuckled at that repeat but he sound was lost. Everyone was lost with worry, confusion, and to tense to be humorous. Well, except the Stolls.

**The word seemed to echo through the chamber. The pit exiled a cold blast of air.**

people winced at how creepy that must have felt

**That's when Annabeth knew with certainty. The chasm _did _go straight to the underworld.**

The entire camp held their breath. Chiron was no longer the only one with a bad feeling. Everyone thought: _get away from that pit. Get away from that pit..._

**Percy must have felt it to**

"how could someone not feel that?"

"fair inference"

"actually, an inference is a-"

"shut it, brain spawn"

**He guided her a little farther away from the edge.**

"Good" Chiron commented, getting some nods of agreement from campers.

**Her arms and legs trailers silk like a bridal train**

Athena children shivered.

**She wished she had her dagger to cut that stuff off.**

As did the Athena cabin.

**She almost asked Percy to do the honors with riptide, ****But before she could he said,**

**"Bacchus mentioned something about my voyage being harder than expected. Not sure why-"**

Everyone frowned. What would they have to go through now?

**The chamber groaned.**

Demigods became nervous

**The Athena Parthenos tilted to one side.**

Everyone was extremely nervous.

**Its head caught on one of Arachne's supporting cables but the marble foundation under the pedestal was crumbling.**

"No!" Malcom yelled. His sister was in danger.

**Nausea swelled in Annabeth's chest. If the statue fell into the chasm, all her work would be for nothing. Their quest would fail.**

_That can't happen. _Everyone thought simultaneously.

**"Secure it!" Annabeth cried.**

"PLEASE DO!" cried the Athena's. The Athena's, sounds like a band name...

**Her friends immidiently understood.**

**"Zhang!" Leo cried, "get to the helm, quick! The coach is up there alone."**

**Frank transformed into a giant eagle and the two of them soared towards the ship.**

**Jason wrapped his arms around piper. "back for you guys in a sec."**

Everyone was hoping.

**He summons the wind and he and piper shot into the air. "this floor won't last!" Hazel warned." the rest of us should get to the ladder!"**

The campers thought this was a wonderful idea, as tension grew.

**Plumes of dust and cobwebs blasted from holes in the floor. The spiders silk support cables trembled like massive guitar strings and began to snap.**

_No, no, no, NO! _Was chanted throughout everyone's head.

**Hazel lunged for the bottom of the rope ladder and gestured for Nico to follow, but Nico was in no condition to sprint.**

**Percy gripped Annabeth's hand tighter. "it'll be fine." He muttered. **

The campers could only hope.

**Looking up, she saw grappling lines shoot from the Argo 2 and wrap around the statue**

A breath of relief was released.

"Thank the gods!" Malcom said.

**One lassoed around Athena's neck like a noose. Leo shouted orders from the helm as Jason and frank flew frantically from line to line trying to secure them. Nico had just reached the ladder when a sharp pain shot up Annabeth's bad leg**

Everyone went alert.

"What now?" cringed Ally, a small Athena girl/

**She gasped and stumbled.**

Everyone gasped.

"What now?"

**"what is it?" Percy asked**

"That's what WE want to know!

**She tried to stagger towards the ladder. Why was she moving backward instead?**

Chiron seemed to read the next line and his face went slack. He began again in a shaky voice.

**Her legs swept out from under her feet and she fell on her face**

"NO!" Athena yelled.

The rest of the camp was about to explode. Grover and Thalia stared straight ahead. _No, no, no._

**"Her ankle!" Hazel shouted from the ladder "cut it! Cut it!"**

Everyone went from worried to worried and confused. Um, do WHAT now?

**Annabeth's mind was woolly with pain. Cut her ankle? Apparently Percy didn't realize what Hazel meant either.**

Nobody did.

**Then something yanked Annabeth backwards and dragged her towards the pit.**

everyone gasped more than already. No! This couldn't be happening!

Chiron looked like he was going to drop dead on the spot, if he could.

**Percy lunged.**

Everyone smiled, despite situation. That was Percy for you.

**He grabbed her arm, but the momentum carried him along as well.**

This is when people got REALLY nervous.

"No." Whispered Thalia.

**Annabeth glimpsed Nico hobbling in their direction, Hazel trying to dismantle her cavalry sword from the rope latter. Their other friends were still focused on the statue, and Hazel's cry was lost in the general shouting and rumbling of the cavern.**

**Annabeth sobbed as she hit the edge of the pit. Her legs went over the side.**

Everyone was gasping and wailing and yelling and shouting ect.

"They're going down." Grover muttered. He and Thalia were clinging together, even though Thalia wasn't really supposed to be close to opposite gender.

**To late, she realized what was happening: she was tangled in spider silk. She should have cut it away immediately. She had thought is was just a lose line, but the entire floor was covered in cobwebs, she hadn't noticed one of the strands was wrapped around her foot-and the other end went straight into the pit. It was attached to something heavy in the darkness, something that was pulling her in.**

"Arachne!" Malcom wailed. "That cursed spider!"

** "No." Percy muttered, light dawning in his eyes. "My sword..."**

"YES PLEASE CUT HER LOOSE!" everyone yelled.

**But he couldn't**** reach Riptide without letting go of Annabeth's arm, and Annabeth's strength was gone. She slipped over the edge. Percy fell with her.**

Chiron fell silent, as did the rest of the camp. This couldn't be happening. Not Tartarus...

**Her body slammed into something. She must've blacked out briefly from the pain. When she could see again, she realized that she'd fallen partway into the pit and was dangling over the void.**

Heads shot up. There might still be hope.

**Percy had managed to grab a ledge about fifteen feet below the top of the chasm. He was holding on with one hand, gripping Annabeth's wrist with the other, but the pull on her leg was much to strong.**

**_No escape,_ said a voice in the darkness below. _I come to Tartarus, and you will come too._**

"NO!" the Athena kids wailed. Tears were streaking down Everyone's faces. Even Clarisse. Which was saying something.

**Annabeth wasn't sure if she actually heard Arachne's voice or if it was just in her mind.**

**The pit shook. Percy was the only thing keeping her from falling. He was holding onto a ledge barely the side of a bookshelf.**

"Yes, please be able to climb up." Whispered Chiron. But he knew in his heart that that would be almost impossible.

**Nico leaned over the chasm, thrusting out his hand, but he was much to far away to help. Hazel was yelling for the others, but even if they heard her over the chaos, they'd never make it in time.**

"But they have to!" yelled another little daughter of Athena named Bailey. An older one named Sarah put her arms around her shoulders.

**Annabeth's leg felt like it was being pulled free of her body. Pain washed everything in red.**

**The force of the Underworld tugged at her like dark gravity. She didn't have the strength to fight. She knew she was too far down to be saved.**

**"Percy, let me go." She croaked. "You can't pull me up."**

Grover and Thalia exchanged small, sad smiles. They knew he would never do that.

**His face was white with effort. She could see in his eyes that he knew it was hopeless.**

**"Never," he said.**

"OMG!" The Aphrodite's screamed. "THAT WAS SO CUTE!"

Everyone else covered their ears, hoping to avoid going deaf.

**He looked up at Nico, fifteen feet above. "The other side, Nico. We'll see you there. Understand?"**

The camp gasped. "They're going to try to close the doors!"

**Nico's eyes widened. "But-"**

**"Lead them there!" Percy shouted. "Promise me!"**

**"I-I will."**

Thalia and Grover exchanged looks again.

**Below them, the voice laughed in the darkness. _Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess._**

**Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist. His faces was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he'd never looked more handsome.**

In a remote city in Oklahoma, where there was never any sound, lived a boy named Steven. He was sitting on his porch enjoying the sunlight and comfortable silence when a loud, high, unidentifiable sound pierced through the air. On Steven's newspaper the next day, it said that a high screeching coming from Long Island, New York had caused a minor earthquake throughout the entire country.

You wouldn't BELIVE who made the sound.

**"We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."**

Steven's peaceful day: again disturbed.

**Only then did she understand what would happen. A one-way trip. A very hard fall.**

**"As long as we're together." She said.**

"OMG PERCABATH! SO CUTE!"

They were cute, people had to agree. But it WASN'T cute when Aphrodite thought something of it.

**geard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw the sunlight far, far above-maybe the last sunlight she'd ever see.**

**Then Percy late go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.**

Chiron closed the book, which soon vanished. "That's the end."

The camp was stricken with sadness in which could not be removed.

* * *

**Hello! Well, I finished and fixed my story and stuff so, yeah! Thanks for reading! REVIEW!**

**~demigodishness11**


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